Vision

To be the pride of Mount Mary College of Education and to remain the pacesetter in producing high-quality and resourceful professional teachers of French, capable of motivating and sustaining the teaching / learning of French in Ghana and abroad for globalisation

Mission

The Department of French is academic and research-oriented, churning out highly motivated and competent professional teachers of French with values and acceptable attitudes for quality teaching and learning of French to meet the required standard at the basic level in Ghana and abroad.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT

Having existed since 1945, Mount Mary Training College was, in 1975, chosen to train teachers of French in line with Ghana’s vision to achieve regional integration in the West African sub-region. The Department of French was then created and headed by native French speakers from France for the French programme. This continued until 1994, when Mr Yegblemenawo Albert, a Ghanaian-trained French scholar, became the first substantive Head of the Department of French of Mount Mary Training College.

The Embassy of France in Ghana, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana via the Ghana Education Service, spearheaded the training of teachers by initially providing the needed human resources, materials, equipment and infrastructure. Native French speakers were dispatched from France to help in the training of teachers of French.


The then College Principal, Mr Vincent Ametefe (of blessed memory), worked relentlessly during his tenure to sustain the studies of French at Mount Mary Training College. His efforts and commitment were highly appreciated by the French nationals in the Department, hence the readiness of the French government to continuously support the French programme in diverse ways. Tutors were given refresher courses in France; a language laboratory was put in place for effective oral lessons; and the college was connected to Searchlight for the transmission of televised programmes from France to the college.


Teaching and learning of French were under the care of the Department of French. At the time, the teachers who were trained were highly recognised in terms of their performances in the field of teaching. Many of the teachers of French who were trained in Mount Mary College taught not only at the basic level but also in secondary schools. They also served in high capacity as translators in many organisations in Ghana and abroad.


Mount Mary Training College, just like other analogue institutions in Ghana, experienced many educational reforms which affected the teaching and learning of French and the Department of French for that matter. Notable among the reforms was the conversion of the Teacher Training Colleges into Colleges of Education in 2003 for the award of a Diploma in Basic Education. Consequently, Mount Mary Training College was renamed “Mount Mary College of Education”. Contact hours for French were reduced, and the Department of French shrunk into a Unit under the Department of Languages, which included English and Ghanaian Languages Units. Many French scholars, including native French speakers/attachés culturels de l’Embassade de France au Ghana such as David Constant and Lise, who were in the Department of French as coordinators for learning French, left, and teaching and learning fell on a few Ghanaian-trained tutors of French. Then, between 2004 and 2012, Mr Justice Sallah and Mr Jones Sanike served as heads of the French Unit. They were later succeeded by Mr Divine Yao Dakey in 2013.


Another major reform which brought changes to the Department was the conversion of Colleges of Education from Diploma in Basic Education awarding institutions into Bachelor of Education awarding institutions in 2018. During the process of the conversion, in 2017, Dr Mrs Cecilia Esinam E. Agbeh, a French scholar, became the Principal of the College. She brought about changes in the College’s administration. She reorganised the various units in the College, renamed the French Unit as a department, among many other major changes. The first Head of Department of French under the current conversion of Colleges into 4-year Bachelor of Education awarding institutions was Mr Osmanu Ibrahim. He served a two-year term (2018-2020) in office, and was succeeded by Mr Patrick Adamptey (2020 to 2024). He was later succeeded by Mrs Athiley Mawuwoe Akou in 2024.

Here are some Tutors who served as Head of Department or Unit Head of French department:

  • Mr Jacques De Mones
  • Mr Jean-Yves Hoisnard
  • Mr Jean Bouley
  • Mad. Blanc
  • Mr. (now Dr.) Albert Yegblemenawo(1995- 2003)
  • Mr. (now Dr.) Justice Sallah (2004-2007
  • Mr Jones Sanike (2007-2013)
  • Mr Divine Yao Dakey (2012-2017
  • Mr. Osmanu Ibrahim (2018-2020
  • Mr Patrick Adamptey(2020-2023)
  • Dr Athiley Mawuwoe Akou (2024–…)

From 2018 to date, consistently, the staff strength has been ten (10).  The college has engaged the following tutors from 2013:

  • Aboh Mensah
  • Athiley Mawuwoe Akou
  • Charles Dzidzornu Edoh
  • Dangbuie Kwami Mawuko
  • Daniel Asiedu
  • Divine Dakey
  • Francis Foli
  • Joseph Ocloo
  • Moses Kwasi Gbevie
  • Osmanu Ibrahim
  • Patrick Adamptey
  • Tobias Kossi Sika Attipoe
  • Yegblemenawo Caroline Akpene